1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to performing multiple packet User Datagram Protocol (UDP) transfers using pseudo domains and pseudo IP addresses.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet uses a set of communications protocols that implement the protocol stack on which the Internet and most private networks run. Two of the most important protocols used on the Internet and on private networks are the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP), which were also the first two networking protocols defined. Another common protocol used on the Internet and on private networks is the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). Using UDP, programs on networked computers can send short messages, known as datagrams, to one another. There are also a number of other protocols that are commonly, or less commonly used on the Internet and on private networks.
Typically, certain network applications have tended to use particular protocols, due to differences in complexity and capability of the various protocols. For example, accesses to Domain Name Servers (DNSs) are typically performed using UDP. Most DNS queries consist of a single UDP request from the client followed by a single UDP reply from the server. UDP is relatively simple to implement, but is capable of handling single packet messages with no more than 512 bytes of data. If the data size of the response from the DNS exceeds 512 bytes, then most DNSs will attempt to use TCP to send the response, as TCP is capable of handling larger packets and multi-packet messages. However, TCP is considerably more complex than UDP, and many DNS clients cannot correctly switch to using TCP when the DNS response messages are sent using TCP.
A need arises for a technique by which UDP can be used to send messages that include more data than can be handled by a single UDP packet.